Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-03-31

National Civil Service Reform League
appointed to collect information relative
to the operation OF civil service reform
laws shows that civil service reform has
made substantial and encouraging prog
ress. There are only two States, New York
and Massachusetts, which have a civil
service reform law, and il seems that it
has been productive OF much better
condition OF affairs than existed in the
public service in those States before it
was enacted.
The committee reviews the workings of
the national civil service reform law
quite thoroughly, and finds much to COM
mend and great deal to condemn. The
law, the committee thinks, has not been
enforced as we'll as 1t might have been,
and appointments have been made for
| which it can ind no explanation nor ex-
ouse. 1t assumes, however, that In some
instances the President was misled
by designing politicians who sought TO
gain selfish ends by furnishing false in-
formation respecting those they asked to
have appointed to office, and that in other
instances he deliberately violated the
law because he felt that if be did not do
so he might lose strong political friends
and perhaps cause irreparable damage to
| the party.
There are two States according to the
| report in which very little respect has
been paid TO the law, viz: Indiana and
Maryland. In Indiana nearly all the Re
puolicans have been removed and their
| places filled by Democrats. The
Democratic politicians there felt that
II they did not have the Offices with which
TO assist in controlling the State the Re-
publicans would gain the ascendency,
and the President seems to have yielded
| to their urgent requests to put strong par
tisans and firm believers in the spoils
| system at the head OF the principal offices
and let them exercise their Judgment in
making removals and appointments OF
| minor officials
In Maryland Senator German. a recog-
nized champio OF the spoils system, has
| had everything pretty much his own way
since the Democratic party came into
power. He has had his friends put into
the principal Offices, and some Of them
| have been very severely criticised. That
his influence with the administration has
been very great and that he has done
| more than any other man to bring civil
service reform into dIscredit is generally
admitted. He does not appear, however,
to care whether the President fulfills his
promises to the people or not so long as
he is permitted to carry out his plans for
accomplishing his own political purposes.
There is one assertion made in the re-
port which is calculated to arrest atten-
tion and excite comment. 1t is that
wherever the civil service reform law has
been carried ont honestly the Democratic
party has shown an increase OF strength.
and wherever the law has been disregard
ed the Democrats have lost ground. In
Indiana particularly. 1t is asserted, the
Democrats in the elections last fall ex-
perIenced a decided loss OF strength, and
that, too, in face of the assertion of ex-
Senator Mcdonald, an opponent of civil
service reform. that tour State is thor
oughly satisfied, so far as Federal patron
age is concerned :" 1t would be we'll for
the Democratic leaders TO study carefully
this part OF the report. Ii 1t is true that
wherever the civil service law has been
enforced conscientlously the Democratic
party has grown stronger, those who
have been condemning the President for
keeping his pledges in favor of civil SER
vice reform ought to be compelled to take
a back seat. A few dissatisfied politicians
who fail to get Offices for themselves and
friends may make a great deal of noise,
but it doesn't follow that they express the
sentiments OF the people. 1t is safer to
assume that they do not. In most cases,
having a grievance in which the public
has no interest, they speak only for them
selves.
The report, while criticising the Presi-
dent and declaring that ne has not met
the expectations of the friends of civil
service reform, leaves the impression that
the National League believes that he will
come nearer deserving its approval in the
future. The President doubtless mas dis.
covered that 1t is about impossible to
please everybody.